Media companies everywhere — from TV stations to newspapers to book publishers — are trying to figure out how to make money from their original content. Redmond-based OwnZones Media Network, which just scored $500,000 in startup capital, believes it has the solution to help in this era of disruption.

It’s unclear just how OwnZones’ system will work, and the company said that the new funds will be used to release a product next January. At this point, the company says it is in the “final stage negotiations with a wide variety of leading print and video content publishers.”

However, even though it will be some time before the product is released, the startup isn’t being too shy about future prospects. The company writes in today’s press release:

OwnZones Media Network, Inc. has created the technological ecosystem that will forever transform the way consumers, digital content providers and advertisers interact. With its innovative aggregation and curation platform, OwnZones will be the driving force in the transition from free to paid-for content on the Internet.

Those are bold words. And obviously a number of other companies are thinking about how to extract dollars from digital content. After all, the financing of OwnZones comes as The New York Times rolls out its pay wall for digital content.

The startup is led by Daniel Goman — a former employee at AT&T Wireless and Microsoft — and E. Arthur Self — the former president of Malone College and Seattle Pacific University.

Strategic advisers include former Microsoft COO Bob Herbold; former Seattle P-I Associate Editor Ken Bunting; former executive vice president of New Line Cinema Deborah Moore; and others.

John Cook is co-founder of GeekWire, a tech news site in Seattle. Follow on Twitter: @geekwirenews.

John Cook is GeekWire's co-founder and editor, a veteran reporter and the longest-serving journalist on the Pacific Northwest tech startup beat. Follow him @johnhcook and email john@geekwire.com.